I Can Fix That
by Beena-Pani
Summary: [Complete] Chapters 26 & 27 of 'Holes' from Sam's POV
1. Sam's Story

I Can Fix That  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sam, Katherine, Trout Walker, Linda Miller, Hattie Parker... Yeah. I own NOTHING. Not even the dialogue. Not even the scenes. Not even the story. That all belongs to Louis Sachar!  
  
Author's Note: This is the SECOND Sam/Kate fic*! I feel special! PEACHES AND ONIONS FOREVER!!!  
  
**crickets chirping**  
  
You can read the story now.  
  
~*~  
  
Part One: Sam's Story  
  
"Onions! Fresh, sweet onions!" I called as Mary Lou followed me up the road. The cart Mary Lou was pulling was filled with the onions I had picked that week. Mrs Collingwood came running up to buy the ointment I made to cure baldness. After telling her to rub it on Mr Collingwood's head every night, Miss Katherine Barlow, the schoolteacher, approached to buy onions like she did almost every day.  
  
"Hello, Sam," she said as she fed an extra onion to Mary Lou.  
  
"Hello, Miss Katherine." I smiled at her, but she looked upset. "Is something wrong? You seem distracted."  
  
"Oh," She returned my smile, "Just the weather. It looks like rain clouds moving in." She looked up at the sky where, just like she had said, dark clouds were gathering.  
  
"Me and Mary Lou, we like the rain," I told her.  
  
"Oh, I like it fine. It's just that the roof leaks in the schoolhouse," she said, patting Mary Lou's head.  
  
I smiled again and said, "I can fix that."  
  
"What are you going to do? Fill the holes with onion paste?" I laughed and shook my head.  
  
"I'm good with my hands. I built my own boat," I said with a bit of pride, "If it leaked, I'd be in big trouble." Miss Katherine rubbed Mary Lou once again and looked up at me. "I'll fix your roof, in exchange for six jars of your delicious spiced peaches."  
  
"Alright, Sam." She shook my hand. "It's a deal."  
  
I fixed her roof, just like I had promised. Miss Katherine sat at her desk, grading papers, while I worked. Occasionally, we would shout to each other and had interesting conversations. If I took a break, she would read a poem, and sometimes I could finish it from memory.  
  
It took a week for me to finish working on her roof, and when I was done, she seemed unhappy.  
  
"Is something wrong?" I hoped that she was happy with the roof.  
  
"No, you did a wonderful job," she assured me. "It's just that... the windows won't open. The children and I would enjoy a breeze now and then."  
  
I grinned and said, "I can fix that."  
  
The windows didn't take as much time as the roof had, and we didn't have as much trouble talking to each other. While working, I told her about my onion field, which she seemed to be interested in.  
  
"My desk wobbles," she told me after the windows were done.  
  
"I can fix that," I told her again. A few days later, after her desk had been fixed, she came to buy onions.  
  
"The door doesn't hang straight," she mentioned to me while feeding Mary Lou.  
  
"I can fix that."  
  
Once again, I did what I told her I would do, and I fixed the door. Soon, the schoolhouse looked completely different. Nothing needed to be fixed; I had done everything. I was proud of my work, but I missed spending afternoons with Miss Katherine. I wondered if she missed my company, too.  
  
I shook my head and laughed quietly. Why would she miss my company? But she did look unsatisfied, although she always told me it was nothing about the quality of my work.  
  
It was raining, but I still stood outside, selling my onions. The rain reminded me of someting: the schoolhouse's roof wouldn't leak anymore. I had fixed it, for Katherine Barlow.  
  
"Onions! Hot, sweet onions!" I yelled, but I knew no one would be outside. I wasn't really yelling to sell onions. I was yelling for Miss Katherine, hoping she would step outside and buy some onions to feed Mary Lou. I wanted to see her, desperately.  
  
And there she was, running towards me. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, but she looked as lovely as always. She threw her arms around Mary Lou's neck, and drops of either tears or rain rolled down her cheeks.  
  
"Is something wrong?" I asked her.  
  
"Oh, Sam," she sniffed and let go of Mary Lou, but kept her eyes down. "My heart is breaking."  
  
I felt hot, stinging tears in my eyes, but I smiled.  
  
"I can fix that."  
  
She turned to look at me and I held her hands. Somehow, I knew what I was doing was right.  
  
I looked at her a moment longer and kissed her. I didn't care if it was raining and we were both getting soaked. I didn't care if someone saw us. All I cared about was her, and I knew she cared about me, too.  
  
~*~  
  
The next day, no one bought any onions. I didn't care. Trout Walker could have learned to fly and I wouldn't have cared. All I could think about was Katherine.  
  
I was surprised when she came running to me from the sheriff's office.  
  
"Thank God, I found you," she cried and hugged me. "We've got to get out of here. Now!"  
  
"What--" I began.  
  
"Someone must have seen us kissing yesterday. They set fire to the schoolhouse," she said sadly, and added, "The sheriff said he's going to hang you!"  
  
I stared at her. I didn't beleive it. Or maybe, I didn't want to beleive it. It just couldn't be true. I sighed, and said, "C'mon, Mary Lou."  
  
"We have to leave Mary Lou behind," Katherine said.  
  
I hesitated. I didn't want to leave Mary Lou. I loved that donkey just as much as I loved Katherine. "OK."  
  
I untied my boat, waded into the water, and helped Katherine aboard. I rowed as fast as I could, away from shore, but no matter how fast I rowed, a motorized boat would always be faster. When we were about halfway across the lake, I saw the ugly smoke Trout Walker's boat spewed out all over the water. I rowed even faster, but I knew it was useless. I looked at Katherine one last time. She was the last thing I would ever see. In the few moments I had left, I whispered five words to her,  
  
"I love you, Miss Katherine."  
  
~*~  
  
*The first is 'Secrets Left Untold' by Shae Elven Heart. Go read it NOW!  
  
Author's Note: That was depressing. I always cry while reading that part, but I cried even more while writing this. I'll be putting up Kate's POV soon. I know it is pretty much how she saw it in the book, but maybe I can add more of her thoughts and feelings, so check back soon and I might have it up.  
  
Please review, I'm not that good at writing sad stuff and it would be greatly appreciated if you could tell me how I can improve! Thanks! 


	2. Katherine's Story

Author's Note: I have the urge to write. I shall write MORE! This is basically the same as the book, with a bit from the movie, but I tried to add some more thoughts to it.  
  
~*~  
  
I Can Fix That  
  
Part Two: Katherine's Story  
  
"Onions! Fresh, sweet onions!" I heard Sam call outside the schoolhouse. Slowly, I made my way to the door and walked outside. Dark storm clouds were covering part of the sky, announcing that it would rain soon.  
  
I bought a few onions and fed them to Mary Lou, hoping that it would make me forget about the weather.  
  
"Hello, Sam," I said while the old donkey ate an onion out of my hand.  
  
"Hello, Miss Katherine," he replied. "Is something wrong? You seem distracted."  
  
I smiled to myself. Sam seemed to have read my mind. "Oh, just the weather. It looks like rain clouds moving in," I said.  
  
"Me and Mary Lou, we like the rain." I began to rub the top of Mary Lou's head when she finished the two onions I had bought for her.  
  
"Oh, I like it fine. It's just that the roof leaks in the schoolhouse."  
  
"I can fix that." I was surprised by what he said, but what had I expected? Sam seemed to have a cure for everything, maybe even for a leaky roof.  
  
"What are you going to do?" I joked. "Fill the holes with onion paste?"  
  
"I'm good with my hands," he laughed. "I built my own boat. If it leaked, I'd be in big trouble." I beleived him. His hands and arms were definately strong from rowing his boat across the lake every week. Trout Walker may have had a brand new, motorized boat, but he wasn't strong, like Sam. He never had to do any work with his boat, and he ended up sending out that disgusting smoke all over the water.  
  
"I'll fix your roof," said Sam, bringing me out of my thoughts, "In exchange for six jars of your spiced peaches."  
  
I turned away from Mary Lou and shook his hand. "Alright, Sam. It's a deal." I would gladly give him six jars of peaches, whether or not he fixed the roof.  
  
It turned out that he did fix the roof, starting the very next afternoon, right after school finished. I sat at my desk and tried to grade papers, but found the little conversation we had much more enjoyable. It was hard to talk that much because we had to shout at the top of our lungs for the other to hear. Whenever he took a break, I would read him a poem. Surprisingly, he was able to finish much of what I read to him, reciting it from memory.  
  
"Oh, Sam," I whispered, amazed, the first time he did this. Sam just smiled at me and went back to work.  
  
When he finished, I was upset that we wouldn't be able to spend another afternoon together. My face must have shown what I was feeling, because Sam asked me if something was wrong.  
  
"No," I said quickly, hoping he wouldn't think I was disapointed with his work. "You did a wonderful job. It's just that..." I came up with an excuse to see him again. "The windows won't open. The children and I would enjoy a breeze now and then."  
  
"I can fix that," Sam said, and walked back to his onion cart.  
  
Sam recieved two more jars of spiced peaches for fixing the windows. Although the windows didn't take as long as the roof had, having a conversation was easier. This time, instead of me reading to him, he told me all about his onion field.  
  
"The onions grow there all year round," he told me. I was taking in every word he said. "And the water runs uphill."  
  
I never doubted that Sam was being completely truthful and not exaggerating. If he had told me that Mary Lou was actually a turtle, I would have beleived him. Of course, Sam would never tell me Mary Lou was a turtle.  
  
When the windows were fixed, I told him that my desk wobbled.  
  
"I can fix that," said Sam, and he did.  
  
The next time I bought onions, I bought more than usual for Mary Lou so I could speak with Sam a little longer. As Mary Lou ate the last onion, I said that the door didn't hang straight.  
  
"I can fix that," Sam said with a smile, just like he always did. The door only took one afternoon, but it was still another afternoon with Sam. I sometimes wondered if he knew why I asked him to fix things, but he never told me he did.  
  
By the end of the first semester, the schoolhouse had been changed completely and people would often stop on their way past it to say that it showed how much the town of Green Lake valued education. To me, it was a reminder of all of those wonderful afternoons with Sam. The only thing I was unsatisfied with about it was that I had run out of reasons to see Sam, since Mary Lou didn't take to long to eat the onions I gave her, even if I bought an extra two or three.  
  
One rainy afternoon, I sat at my desk, listening to the rain hitting the roof. A few months ago, the sound would have seemed strange, but now I was used to no rain leaking in. That was why I was surprised when I saw a few drops land on the book I was reading.  
  
"Onions! Hot, sweet onions!" Sam was calling out on the street. I blinked back more tears before I ran outside and hugged Mary Lou's neck. I wanted to have my arms around Sam, but I just couldn't do it. My face was pressed against Mary Lou's neck when I heard Sam speak to me.  
  
"Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice soft and gentle.  
  
"Oh, Sam..." I said. "My heart is breaking."  
  
"I can fix that."  
  
I let go of Mary Lou and stared at him as he took my hands in his, pulled me closer, and kissed me. When I thought back on that kiss, it always seemed to last forever instead of a few seconds. I never remembered being wet and cold, just that Sam was kissing me, and that I was kissing him back.  
  
~*~  
  
The next day, the schoolhouse was empty. I told myself that it must have been Saturday, because I was still in shock from having Sam kiss me.  
  
I was surprised when an angry mob of men and women entered the schoolhouse. Trout Walker was leading them.  
  
"There she is!" he shouted as desks were turned over and bulletin boards were ripped from the walls. "The Devil Woman! She's been poisoning your children's brains with books!"  
  
"Think about what you're doing!" I cried, watching the mob pile books in the center of the room. I was petrified for a moment, but forced myself to run to the sheriff's office.  
  
"Mornin', Miss Katherine," said the sheriff as I entered. His feet were up on his desk and he was drinking.  
  
"They're destroying the schoolhouse! They'll burn it to the ground of someone doesn't stop them!" I told him, out of breath.  
  
The sheriff got up and walked towards me, "Just calm your pretty self down a second and tell me what you're talking about."  
  
"Trout Walker has--"  
  
"Now don't go saying nothing bad about Charles Walker."  
  
"We haven't got much time! You've got to stop them!" I pleaded.  
  
"You're sure pretty."  
  
I stared, horrified, at the sheriff. I felt completely helpless.  
  
"Kiss me," the sheriff said. Without even thinking about it, I slapped him across the face, but he simply laughed and continued, "You kissed the onions picker. Why won't you kiss me?" He caught my hand as I tried to hit him again.  
  
"You're drunk!" I screamed.  
  
"I always get drunk before a hanging." I froze. He couldn't mean Sam. He couldn't.  
  
"A hanging? Who--"  
  
"It's against the law for a Negro to kiss a white woman." I didn't cry, I was too angry. I wanted to do nothing but kill Trout. I wanted to kill the sheriff. It wasn't fair.  
  
"Well, then you'd better hang me, too," I snarled. "Because I kissed him back."  
  
"It ain't against the law for you to kiss him, just for him to kiss you," said the sheriff, as though explaining that two and two make four.  
  
"We're all equal under the eyes of God," I declared.  
  
"Then if Sam and I are equal, why won't you kiss me?" laughed the sheriff. "I'll make you a deal. One sweet kiss, and I won't hang your boyfriend. I'll just run him out of town."  
  
I pulled free and ran out the door.  
  
"The law will punish Sam," I heard him say as I left. "And God will punish you."  
  
I got to Sam as fast as I could. He was at the lakefront, hitching his donkey to the cart.  
  
"Thank God, I found you," I threw my arms around him, but pulled away quickly as I remembered how much danger he was in. "We've got to get out of here! Now!"  
  
"What--"  
  
"Someone must have seen us kissing yesterday. They set fire to the schoolhouse. The sheriff said he's going to hang you!"  
  
Sam froze, but only for a few seconds becore saying, "C'mon, Mary Lou."  
  
"We have to leave Mary Lou behind," I said sadly. I hated to say it, but it was true. Sam looked close to tears, but he nodded.  
  
"Okay."  
  
Sam found his boat tied to a tree, quickly untied it, and waded through the water. I followed him and, with his help, climbed aboard the boat. He picked up the oars and rowed as fast as he could. When we were just a little more than halfway across the lake, I heard an engine roar behind us. I looked behind me and saw Trout Walker's boat, followed by a stream of black smoke.  
  
I don't know what happened then. The next thing I can remember is being pushed along and seeing Mary Lou's body lying on the ground when we returned to shore. Though there had been storm clouds gathering in the sky earlier in the morning, it didn't rain the next day. Or the next.  
  
When three days had passed since they killed Sam, I shot the sheriff, and gave him the kiss he had been so eager to receive. The pain didn't go away, but it felt good to know that he had paid for what he had done.  
  
I was known as Kissin' Kate Barlow. I doubt that anyone knew why I kissed all of the men I killed, and I doubt that anyone would care.  
  
Twenty years later, no one remembers Miss Katherine, the schoolteacher everyone expected to marry Charles Walker. No one except me. I don't only remember that schoolteacher, I remember Sam. I would never forget Sam. Even now, twenty years since I saw him last, I can see him perfectly. It doesn't matter that I've lost my mind, I haven't lost the memories of those afternoons we spent together.  
  
"Oh, Sam," I say, but no one is around to hear it. "I know it's hot, but I feel so very cold. My hands are cold. My feet are cold. My heart is cold." And when I fall silent, I hear a familiar voice reply,  
  
"I can fix that."  
  
~*~  
  
Author's Note: That's the end. Did you like it? Huh? Huh? Huh? I thought I did a good job, but I'm the writer. What do YOU think? Yes, you. Well? Hmm?  
  
In other words, please review. I'm feelin totally miserable after writing this and reviews make me feel special. And thanks to the people who reviewed in the first place, I love you to bits! 


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